Only the speaker is afforded the right to use the military aircraft, Pelosi’s office told POLITICO. "Wow, POLITICO. New low,” said Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill, adding, “this is not news to anyone.”

Hammill added that Pelosi already flies more on commercial planes because “all political and personal travel must be commercial.” In 2009, Pelosi used military planes for 38 flights to and from San Francisco, and took 71 commercial flights, according to her office.

Speaker-in-waiting John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said he would not be using military planes for his domestic travel. “Over the last 20 years, I have flown back and forth to my district on commercial aircraft, and I am going to continue to do that,” Boehner said earlier this month.

Before flying back to his district last Friday, Boehner was spared the Transportation Security Administration screening that other passengers on the flight out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had to undergo. (See: A 'tipping point' in terror fight?)

Pelosi’s predecessor as speaker, former Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), started using an Air Force jet for security reasons following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Correction: Pelosi only uses the military aircraft for travel to and from her district, not for “other domestic travel,” her office said.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Alex Byers @ 11/23/2010 12:31 PM
Correction: Pelosi only uses the military aircraft for travel to and from her district, not for “other domestic travel,” her office said.
MADE BY BYERS PER BERMAN on 11/23/ at 1229p